New York’s influential Cardinal Timothy Dolan is facing criticism for socializing with Barack Obama at a time when the Catholic Church is being persecuted by – and bringing lawsuits against – the president’s administration.
Amid some 50 Catholic lawsuits and 50 other religious lawsuits against Obama and his signature health-care legislation, this past week Cardinal Dolan, the archbishop of New York and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed Obama and his challenger, former Gov. Mitt Romney, to the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner. It’s a longtime charitable event where presidential candidates humorously campaign while speaking in honor of the first Catholic presidential candidate.
This year, many Catholics criticized Cardinal Dolan for inviting Obama because they claim it sends a mixed message, especially while the Archdiocese of New York is...